San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-15
I do not dislise him, in her Slow

II do not dislike hin, IN her slow
way.
II am going to marry that man, if
can make him ask me. am sick Ia
death of this struggle for mere eXis-
tence. Other girls have time for dress
and amusement. | cannot bear it, and
| will not
Leah turned in amusement. Kitty
has raised herself on her elbow. She
was very pale and her eyes were umat-
urally large and bright.
After all, it was only her own deter
minatiOn. She felt herself incapable of
reply or remark. turning away again
with weary half sigh.
After that day life seemed to run in a
new channel for the Allen girls. Where
Mason had come once before, he came
twice now, walking into the house at
all hours and on all pretenceS. lIOl-
land had been at the house three times
before ten days had gone. lie did not
always talk much: when he did. it was
with curious absence of personality.
Leah never had 10 complain of his self
consciousness in those times. lie talk
ed to her and looked at Kitty.
One day there came note from Mrs.
Herrick, Hollands cousin. She had
some sort of lawn party on her mind,
and there were invitations for Leah and
Kitty.
Wear your white bunting and tea
roses" pencilled line to Leah said.
II have a special reason"
And Leah wore the white bunting
and tea roses, by request" smiling to
herself over her own special reason
the want of another gown.
By contrast KITTY put on some thin
black dress, a relic of other years, that
with little silk and lace and judiciOus
bits of jet was pretty still for evening
wear.
That night there was good parlor
music-a piano deity played, violin
that seemed to dissolve in the sweet
Strauss waltZes. Leah Allen, floating
down the long parlOrs in Dick MasOn's
arms, with softly flushed cheeks and
wide luminous eyes, was something
more than just an ordinary pretty girl.
Quiet and colOrlCss rs her life seemed,
there was in her vein of something that
touched the edge of the realm OF art.
Like many another woman of our frozen
North, she was dumb. She neither
sang nor played, and she had not the
gift of tongues. BY the law of contra
diction, perhaps, she danced as if a
spirit possessed her feet.
1t was three years since her last taste
of the one enthusiasm of her life. AS
the waltz ended she paused minute by
Mason'S side as the last strain left
them. His arm half held her: she look
ed up into his face with sigh of SUI
preme satisfaction. Mason was the best
waltZer in town, and the dance had been
perfection. He smiled back, under
standing her completely. And then she
met Hollands eyes fixed on her with a
look that drove the blood out of her
face.
He hardly said dozen words to her
all the evening. He did not dance, and
in the intervals he WAS with Kitty.
Mrs. Herrick found minute for a
private speech with Leah.
Don't let that pretty sister of yours
hirt with my cousin, unless She is pre-
pared for serious consequences. George
never gave up a fancy in his life. >
Il don't think KITTY is a tiirt." Leah
said, thOughtfuliy.
Only to put you on Your guard, my
dear. George Holland is one Of those
dreadful men who are in dead earnest
all their lives through"
After that Leah watched her sister
with keener eyes. She made a disCOv-
cry that took her by surprise. Dick
Mason was watching Kitty, too, with
thunderOus cloud on his handsome
face. 1t gave Leah a sense of things
gone wrong in the world, Dick Mason
had always seemed like one of them
selves. That Kitty could bring that
panied look into his eyes was the last
thing she would ever have dreamed.
He came and bent over her chair with
an air of confident friendlineSs that ia
a locker on might have seemed TO have
a tender meaning of its own.
what does it mean? Does she care
for that mani"
II don't know. I'm all adrift. Take
me home, Dick. No one will miss me- "
But one man at least missed her, and
found the Zest quite gone from his even
ing. He got himself out of the house,
and taking all his chances in the mala-
rial damp of the summer night, came to
conclusion as the gray dawn crept up
the east.
He never shall have her. Good fell
low as he is, he is no more worthy of
her than-I am. But can understand
her, thank Heaven, and he never will. "
And "he' was Dick Mason, and the
her" Leah Allen.
A month slid by. Mason haunted the
house, and Hollands evenings away
were the execution. Mason WAS sulkv-
TO be Continued.